Top 10 Best Poems by Poet Chu Mạnh Trinh

De Dương quý phi từ

The homeland’s mountains and rivers shrouded in evening mist,
The sacred temple stands as a pillar in the Southern sky.
Grief for the Yuan invaders, the mighty waves of resentment,
Enduring loyalty to the Song dynasty, reflected in the sun and moon.
Countless branches swaying in the wind, their sound like jade beads clinking,
A lake, purified in autumn, reflects light like a perfect mirror.
The blessed clouds spread, sheltering thousands of families,
This temple, along with the Cờn Temple, shall remain sacred and be passed down forever.

Translation

The rivers and mountains of my homeland fade in the twilight haze,
The temple where the goddess is revered stands amidst the southern sky.
The sorrow from the Yuan invaders’ past echoes across the waves,
My loyalty to the Song dynasty endures, as constant as the sun and moon.
Countless branches sway, their rustling like the clash of precious jade,
A lake, cleansed by autumn, mirrors the light like a round mirror.
The fortunate clouds spread everywhere, protecting countless families,
This temple, alongside the Cờn Temple, will remain sacred and pass down through generations.

Source: PGS.TS. Nguyễn Minh Tưởng, “The Temple of Dương quý phi from the Song Dynasty in Phố Hiến and Chu Mạnh Trinh's Poem,” Tạp chí Hán Nôm, Issue 2(81), 2007

Tây Hồ's Reflections

In the abandoned tower, the sunset fades,
The cold wind blows, leaves falling in spades.
Silence fills the river, autumn's late hues,
No one sings the song of the wild herbs' use.

Translation:

The old tower's shadow in the evening glow,
The chilly breeze sweeps, and the leaves do flow.
The quiet of the river in autumn's chill,
No one sings the song, no heart to fulfill.

This poem is transcribed in the "Trúc Vân Chu Poetry Collection", found in the "Hiếu Cổ Đường Poetry Anthology" 孝古堂詩集 (VHv.106).

Source: Trấn Quốc Temple, research and Hán Nôm materials, Literary Publishing House, 2009

Episode 01 - Kiều celebrating the Thanh Minh Festival

In the spring, who paints such a vivid picture,
Everyone eagerly joins the festival, trampling the grass.
Fate mourns the souls of the departed,
The current life tests those who are destined.
The flowers gently rest on the mirror's surface,
While the willows sway in the breeze, stirring hearts.
Why does this sadness deepen?
The road home is steep, with bells sounding faintly.

Source: Truyện Kiều and Nineteenth-Century Confucian Scholars, Phạm Đan Quế, Thanh Niên Publishing House, Third Edition, 2003

Episode 03 - Kiều swears an oath with Kim Trọng

Why do we falter in uncertainty,
While the winds carry the waiting moonlight?
The peach blossoms have invited the bees and butterflies,
While the willows shy away from the gusts of wind and rain.
The delicate thread of love begins to wind,
And the desire flickers, waiting for a response.
Should this love be pure like ice and snow,
Rather than a fleeting, deceptive flirtation.

Source: Truyện Kiều and Nineteenth-Century Confucian Scholars, Phạm Đan Quế, Thanh Niên Publishing House, Third Edition, 2003

Episode 04 - Kiều asks her sister to speak on her behalf

Why does the storm rise and darken the skies,
The nine words of the island must be avenged.
Though the debt is heavy, the maid must not care,
For the bond of kinship will guide your fate.
Across the thousands of miles, tears fall from both eyes,
As thoughts of the night pass by under a solitary light.
Does Liêu Dương understand this sorrow?
Here is the pin and fan, symbols of a promise.

Source: Truyện Kiều and Nineteenth-Century Confucian Scholars, Phạm Đan Quế, Thanh Niên Publishing House, Third Edition, 2003

Episode 17 - Kiều meets Từ Hải

Who can understand the refuge of a soul with no door,
How can one untangle what fate has tied in a loop?
Once again, the land and water encounter a man of destiny,
While fate still burdens the innocent with debts.
Who can rescue from the sea of suffering,
And how many among us are true heroes?
Strange how words bring two souls together,
As the fragrance of love ignites the fire of passion.

Source: Truyện Kiều and Nineteenth-Century Confucian Scholars, Phạm Đan Quế, Thanh Niên Publishing House, Third Edition, 2003

Thúy Kiều's Unjust Suffering

The wind is clear, the moon is pale,
But thoughts of the past return, reminding me of Kiều.
The fate of a beautiful woman, bitter with endless sorrow,
Like a ship caught in the storm must follow the course of life.
She could never waver, with resolve unyielding,
Spending countless nights under the dim light of a candle.
Blame the fates, the weaver of destinies,
For binding her life with threads of sorrow.
With unmatched skill, her soul is marked for eternity,
The heartaches of fifteen years recorded in history,
How many times has makeup washed away her tears?
Love was promised for another lifetime,
And the duty to repay those who gave life must come first.
Breaking her vow to cross the sea and climb mountains.

Source: Truyện Kiều and Nineteenth-Century Confucian Scholars, Phạm Đan Quế, Thanh Niên Publishing House, Third Edition, 2003

Hương Sơn Landscape Song

Verse:
The pine trees sing as the stream echoes,
Fish in the creek are still, while birds in the forest listen to the chant.

Chanting:
The sky, the Buddha’s scenery,
Hương Sơn's creatures have long wished for this.
Look, the mountains, the water, the clouds,
Is this the famous cave we’ve heard about?
The forest whispers, birds offer their fruit,
In the Yến creek, fish listen to the chant.
A distant hammer’s sound is heard,
Startling the guests from their dream of the sea.
Here is the Giải Oan stream, the Cửa Võng pagoda,
The Phật Tích hermitage, the Tuyết Quynh cave.
Gazing up, who has painted such a scene:
The five-colored rocks glistening like woven silk.
A deep cave, the moon’s reflection like a lantern,
Twisting paths leading through the misty clouds.
Perhaps this land still awaits someone,
Or has nature skillfully arranged it?
Chanting the beads, reciting “Nam vô Phật”,
The gates of compassion and virtue are countless.
The more one admires the landscape, the more one falls in love with it!

This poem was once used in the Literature textbook for 11th grade from 1990-2006, but was later moved to the supplementary reading section in the 11th grade Literature textbook from 2007.

Source:
1. Anthology of Trù Poetry, Văn học Publishing House, 1987
2. Xứ Đoài Poetry, Literary & Life Support Fund, edited by Hội Nhà Văn Publishing House, 2012

Total Appreciation of Truyện Kiều

The curtain rises on a spring morning, dew scattered across the land,
The beauty and talents so great they could serve as a mirror.
A father's sacrifice, risking life for the daughter,
Injustice by fate, leading her to betray her lover.
The sad melody of 'Fate's Misfortune' resounds on the lute,
The run of destiny entangles in the web of Tiền Đường.
Both sides uphold loyalty and filial piety,
Yet the weight of gold will decide their fate.

Source:
1. Truyện Kiều and 19th-Century Confucian Scholars, Phạm Đan Quế, NXB Thanh Niên, third edition, 2003
2. Selected Vietnamese Poetry and Prose, Dương Quảng Hàm, National Education Publishing, Hanoi, 1951

Emotions of Cổ Loa

The husband's love is heavy, the father's grace profound,
Unclear of the unjust accusation that remains until now.
The machine's power is no longer sacred, the turtle has left,
The pearl of wisdom drops tears, and the bottle gourd still lies deep below.
The golden stone of the ancient tree records the history of the land for a thousand years,
The vast sea and sky stretch out, yet only this one pure heart remains.
Outside the temple of the old royal court lies an eerie quiet,
The call of the cuckoo bird echoes in fragments, while the moonlight dims softly.

Translation

The husband's love is heavy, the father's grace deep,
I never knew I carried such an unjust fate until now.
The sacred machine is no longer divine, the turtle has left,
The pearl of wisdom sheds tears, the bottle gourd remains deep below.
The golden plaque of the ancient tree preserves the record of the country’s history for a thousand years,
The wide and vast sea and sky, yet only this one pure heart survives.
Outside the old royal temple, the court is desolate and silent,
While the sound of the cuckoo bird is faint and distant, the moonlight is dim and obscure.

Source: Internet